Sign Language Media: An Exploration of Flemish Deaf Culture, Media Exigencies and Cross-Medial Perspectives

By Sven Noben

This document defends the need of sign language media by describing several characteristics and discussing its importance. It reflects cultural and linguistic concerns, and by means of a survey and demographic investigation, the Deaf mediascape is mapped out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781447573715

Book preview

e9781447573715_cover.jpg

Sign Language Media

An Exploration of Flemish Deaf Culture, Media Exigencies and Cross-Medial Perspectives

Sven Noben

— as of today, Deaf people are being bombarded by words

For my brother Tobias, who got me launched, and for my Deaf peers all over the world,

I hope this paper can be of any significant support to win our never-ending battle to freedom.

Sign Language Media

An exploration of Flemish Deaf culture, media exigencies and cross-medial perspectives

© 2009 Sven Noben

9781447573715

e9781447573715_i0002.jpg

Fig. 0.1.1.

e9781447573715_i0003.jpg

Preface

Where am I positioned in the disciplines of media and Deaf culture?

What has driven me to such an intersection? Why does this thesis even exist, and how can my past influence the questions I pose?

I was born deaf in Leuven, Belgium, in 1975, when oralism was omni - present in that country. My deafness was discovered at age 1, when my parents found out I didn’t react to sound. I was given hearing aids, which I would wear all the time, until adulthood. I got speech lessons intensively and developed my speech very quickly. I never went to deaf school, but was instead one of the first deaf children who integrated into local schools. I was the only deaf person in school and a sign language interpreter was something I never heard of. I followed lessons in school successfully by lip-reading and by relying on my hearing residues. All activities, such as scouting and sports were far away from the Deaf world.

When I was 5, my deaf brother was born. He would go to deaf school. Together with the majority of the deaf children on this school, he would learn some sign language from the few Deaf children who had Deaf parents. At home, sign language was not allowed. We should and would speak, along the wishes of the doctors. As we have loving parents, they just wanted the best for us. At a very young age, I learned from society, Deaf people were stupid, and I was very lucky to be very hard of hearing, in other words very lucky not to be deaf. At least, that is what I was told by many adult people. So, I didn’t need to be stupid, like my brother, if I put enough effort to it, could be exactly like the hearing people.

I have, being driven by the idea that I am not Deaf, and thus not stupid, finished a high degree at high school in math & science. When I was 25 I started to realise something was wrong. I felt bad having oppressed my very own brother for so long time, and I felt bad not being able to be myself among the hearing people. I did not find my identity, and trying to be like a hearing person was exhausting me. When I saw my brother being with his Deaf friends, I envied him for having such a relaxed social life, where I was putting all my energy into acting like a hearing, just to be not stupid.

I started to learn Flemish Sign Language, started to meet Deaf people in the local Deaf club. I also started to appreciate and respect my brother. He was definitely not stupid. I was stupid. I threw away my hearing aids and started to read books on what had been researched at universities on sign language, and about Deaf power. I started to join Deaf camps which I discovered on the internet and started to find my identity. I moved to Finland to start my studies at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, 4 years ago, for which I write this final thesis. As Finland has advanced out of the oralism time a lot more than Belgium, I was culturally shocked, as I entered a new Deaf world. I found my identity as I slowly realised who I was.

Trying to be hearing couldn’t be my destiny. There is far too much in this world to discover, and too many wishes deep in myself, than to spoil this life by faking I’m hearing.

Maybe this brings us to the reason I want to focus myself on signed me - dia. I hope to make a difference for many other deaf people. I want to carry out the message being Deaf is not stupid, but beautiful. I want to show the world the beauty of that what has been taken away from me. And media is definitely a way to carry my message.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Copyright Page

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. Defining and Acknowledging Sign Language Media

2. Looking for Traces

3. Demographics and Media

4. Exigencies in the Deaf Mediascape

5. Van Bollebuik tot Piraten, a Production.

Reflections

Sources

Figures

Appendix - survey results

Acknowledgements

I’ m especially grateful to my Deaf brother, Tobias, for helping me find my way in life. He has supported me in creating this thesis, in his own way, by taking over some of my other work for months, and by pushing me morally, telling me I’m a hero for the Deaf world, by fighting for our signed media. My mother has also been a hero for me, by reading this paper, and not only commenting on it, but especially by accepting what her son has written about oralism, by accepting she has made choices for her son, which were extremely wrong, according to the thesis this same son wrote. I don’t think there are many things which are more hard for a mother to accept in life. My father has been precious by his practical support, teaching me the ins and outs of the camera and lights. With each new signed media project coming my way, he would support me by expressing his enthusiasm.

Of valuable contribution to this discourse were the co-ordinators of Van Bollebuik tot Piraten (Mieke Van Herreweghe and